We act and make decisions based on the conclusions we make. But we tend to jump to these conclusions and skip important parts of the reasoning process.
Ladder of inference, developed by a former Harvard professor Chris Argyris, is a tool that helps you fill the gaps in your thinking and make decisions based on reality. It's also helpful to challenge the thinking of others and reach better conclusions together.
The ladder
There are 7 steps on the ladder that represent our mental processes. Here's what it looks like from the bottom up:
- Available data
- This is the reality we are able to observe.
- Selected data
- We select what we pay attention to based on our prior experiences and existing beliefs. We don't have the mental capacity to take in every piece of data available, so we have to make this selection.
- Interpretations
- We give facts meaning. We paraphrase what we see or hear to make sense of it.
- Assumptions
- Based on our interpretation, we make our own personal assumptions.
- Conclusions
- We draw conclusions from our assumptions.
- Beliefs
- Our beliefs are then developed from the conclusions we make.
- Actions
- Finally, we take actions that are rooted in what we believe to be true.
These processes usually happen unconsciously and very quickly in our brain. Applying this ladder consciously allows you to take a step back and see where you're jumping to conclusions.
How to use it
Whenever you make a conclusion about something or are making decisions based on your conclusions, it's good to stop and question your reasoning.